Corentin Moutet believes he will end Novak Djokovic’s quest for 25th Grand Slam in the second round of the Roland Garros

Corentin Moutet has faced Novak Djokovic twice in his career and has lost both encounters without winning a set.

Corentin Moutet believes he will end Novak Djokovic’s quest for 25th Grand Slam in the second round of the Roland Garros

Corentin Moutet and Novak Djokovic (via X/FFT/The Tennis Letter)

Corentin Moutet has been handed a difficult second-round tie at the Roland Garros. The Frenchman will face the in-form Novak Djokovic but believes that he has a chance to upset the former World No.1, who is seeking his 25th career Grand Slam and 101st tour-level title at the French Open.

Moutet is known for his extravagant display, especially on clay, and is no stranger to causing upset in big tournaments. At the Italian Open, he stunned Holger Rune in three sets to earn his first Top 20 win of the season. Last year at the French Open, he won three straight matches and led Jannik Sinner in the fourth round before the Italian came from behind to win in four sets.

On Tuesday (May 27), he battled hard to beat his fellow countryman Clement Tabur 6-3, 7-6(8), 6-3 in two hours and thirty-five minutes in the first round. The victory earned him a slot in the second round against Djokovic, who defeated American Mackenzie McDonald 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 in just an hour and fifty-three minutes.

It will be the pair’s third meeting on tour, having last met at the Italian Open last year, where Djokovic defeated the Frenchman 6-3, 6-1 in the second round. Djokovic holds a 2-0 lead in their head-to-head record. It is worth noting that the Frenchman has been caught in several controversies in the past.

Ahead of his match against Djokovic, the World No.73 believes he can defeat the World No.7 in the second round. Moutet added that he hopes to get special energy from the French crowd at the Court Philippe-Chatrier:

I expect a full stadium with many people supporting me. I will try to give them what they want and create a special energy. My goal is to win the match, and I believe in my chances. I have my weapons, and I will be ambitious; I think that if I play well, I will have my chances against anyone. Novak is a great legend, and it will be an honor to face him, just like it was to play against Nadal here a few years ago.

One of Moutet’s controversial moments happened earlier this month when he accused Pavel Kotov of threatening to kill him during their match at the Aix-en-Provence Challenger. The Frenchman’s mercurial attitude on the court, coupled with his extravagant playing style, makes him an entertaining player to watch.

Novak Djokovic hopes the French Open crowd doesn’t become annoying during his match against Corentin Moutet

Novak Djokovic, three-time French Open champion improved his first round record at the Roland Garros to 20-0 after beating Mackenzie McDonald in straight sets. The 38-year-old, who won his 100th career title at the Geneva Open is now seeking to continue with his form at the Roland Garros.

Novak Djokovic (2)
Novak Djokovic (Image via X/Jose Morgado)

Ahead of his tie against Corentin Moutet, Djokovic sounded worried about the French crowd’s passionate support for his opponent. He revealed during his press conference that some times the support for local players can be annoying to opponents:

It’s logical to expect that – let’s take all four slams – if you go and play the local player coming from the country where the slam is played, that they are going to have the crowd on their side and there is nothing strange about it. It’s expected. But it is true that here in France and in Paris compared to other slams, the people are louder and more passionate and give more support and louder support and more energy to their player, which for some players can be annoying.

Djokovic has faced a more passionate crowd in his career than in the French Open. Last year, he was booed for most of his match at the Wimbledon Championship but still went on to reach the final.

Also Read: Jack Draper Gets Too Real About ‘Awkward’ Moments Players Deal With During Anti-Doping Process